Entertainment changes on the Emerald

[caribill]

Anyways, some more thoughts about this new format. Yes, if you want to have a choice of two shows every night, you no longer do.

 

It sounds like great cost cutting by Princess. Cut out the string quartet and half the entertainers.

 

It looks as if they cut the amount of entertainment in half by removing any shows from the Explorer's Lounge, but by also cutting the duration of the shows in the Princess theater from 45 minutes to 30 minutes they have actually cut entertainment from 90 minutes an evening to 30, a two thirds cut.

 

Cutting out two thirds of the entertainment makes for a much less satisfying voyage. And for those who might not like what is scheduled for an evening (like a hypnotist), that means no show at all that night.

[chamima]

It sounds like great cost cutting by Princess. Cut out the string quartet and half the entertainers.

 

It looks as if they cut the amount of entertainment in half by removing any shows from the Explorer's Lounge, but by also cutting the duration of the shows in the Princess theater from 45 minutes to 30 minutes they have actually cut entertainment from 90 minutes an evening to 30, a two thirds cut.

 

Cutting out two thirds of the entertainment makes for a much less satisfying voyage. And for those who might not like what is scheduled for an evening (like a hypnotist), that means no show at all that night.

 

 

 

I agree that they've definitely cut the entertainment but your calculations about the show times are off. They've changed it from two 45 minute shows to three 30 minute shows, both of which total 90 minutes.

Since we don't go to any of the game or audience participation shows it means Explorers entertainment won't be for us at all.

[Coral]

I know someone who just returned from the Ruby. She said she had to get the Theatre 30 minutes before for a seat for a 30 minute show. She was not very happy about this change.

[EddieCruzer]

PescadoAmarillo - can you please tell us how they handled the Captain's Circle Party? I had heard in the past they were giving each member a coupon for a free drink in their cabin, but now they have stopped that.

[PescadoAmarillo]

CC party has been handled the same as it used to be, a party in Club Fusion, 3 or 4 each cruise to handle all the CC members. I have heard rumors that it's going to be changed (in a way that would make me happy) but since there is nothing definite yet, I won't speculate here.

 

DH is still sleeping, so I can't get out the Patter with MUTS movie information. We have lots of Internet left, but I know that, starting at 10am until about dinner time, I won't be able to get on wifi to use it. I'll report back when I can.

[PescadoAmarillo]

MUTS movies

 

Bridesmaids

Dolphin Tale

Captain America

Cowboys and Aliens

Warrior

Thor

Pirates of the Caribbean

Mr. Poppers Penguins

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

I Don't Know How She Does It

Crazy, Stupid Love

Toast

Just Go With It

Footloose (2011)

Midnight in Paris

The Help

The Guard

Money all

Puss in Boots

Real Steel

[chamima]

MUTS movies

 

Bridesmaids

Dolphin Tale

Captain America

Cowboys and Aliens

Warrior

Thor

Pirates of the Caribbean

Mr. Poppers Penguins

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

I Don't Know How She Does It

Crazy, Stupid Love

Toast

Just Go With It

Footloose (2011)

Midnight in Paris

The Help

The Guard

Money all

Puss in Boots

Real Steel

 

 

 

 

Thanks!!!!

 

Are you staying on board for the 6th?

We are looking forward to seeing you!

 

I got an email saying Moneyball and Ides of March will be on for that sailing.

I really want to see The Help and Midnight in Paris (and considering the now dearth of other entertainment options it looks like MUTS may be my evening choice) so I hope those two aren't taken away to make room for the new ones!

[centralcalicruzer]

Jeannie: So you ARE going to be on for our cruise? Somehow I was thinking you weren't. Will you be coming to our M&G?

[PescadoAmarillo]

Jeannie: So you ARE going to be on for our cruise? Somehow I was thinking you weren't. Will you be coming to our M&G?

 

Yes, when is it, please? That will save me using minutes to check. Thanks!

 

And yes to the 6th Karen.

[chamima]

Yes, when is it, please? That will save me using minutes to check. Thanks!

 

And yes to the 6th Karen.

 

 

Yay!!!!

 

Jeannie

Ours is Feb.7th 10am (I know it's a little early but it was the only time they would give me) at the Wheelhouse.

[centralcalicruzer]

It is Sunday the 29th at 2:00, but I don'tremember the location. Sorry, we are running out the door and my husband is standing hertapping his fingers, lol!

[caribill]

I agree that they've definitely cut the entertainment but your calculations about the show times are off. They've changed it from two 45 minute shows to three 30 minute shows, both of which total 90 minutes.

 

What I meant was two different 45 minute shows (one in Princess Theater, one in Explorer's Lounge) for a total of 90 minutes different entertainment in an evening.

 

Now there is a single unique show each evening, only 30 minutes long.

 

90 minutes of different entertainment reduced to 30.

[helpmesailaway]

What I meant was two different 45 minute shows (one in Princess Theater, one in Explorer's Lounge) for a total of 90 minutes different entertainment in an evening.

 

Now there is a single unique show each evening, only 30 minutes long.

 

90 minutes of different entertainment reduced to 30.

 

caribill - I agree with you - sounds like less choice each evening and "rushed" shows. :(

[PescadoAmarillo]

Thanks CCC for that info, and you too Karen.

 

We just came from the Internaiinal Crew show. It is one of the best shows of the cruise. Our waiter Suttipong did a traditional Thai dance, and one of the headwaiters had people on their feet applauding before he even finished singing his song. This is definitely on my recommended "don't miss it" list. There are still gems of entertainment to be found.

 

I will be posting a web address for the blog I've kept when I return home. Meanwhile, I'll only add to this thread if something different related to entertainment comes up in the next couple of cruises.

[chamima]

Thanks CCC for that info, and you too Karen.

 

We just came from the Internaiinal Crew show. It is one of the best shows of the cruise. Our waiter Suttipong did a traditional Thai dance, and one of the headwaiters had people on their feet applauding before he even finished singing his song. This is definitely on my recommended "don't miss it" list. There are still gems of entertainment to be found.

 

I will be posting a web address for the blog I've kept when I return home. Meanwhile, I'll only add to this thread if something different related to entertainment comes up in the next couple of cruises.

 

 

The show sounds great but do you think the same crew would volunteer every cruise to be in the show?

I hope there are no more changes to report (unless they decide that the 30 minute shows don't work and that they're going back to the 45 minute AND bringing back the string quartet!)

[PescadoAmarillo]

Karen, I don't know if every crew show is the same, but I know the our waiter Suttipong has performed a Thai three times in a row now. I suspect that, once they get someone who can perform, they hold into him until his contract ends.

[chamima]

duplicate

[chamima]

Karen, I don't know if every crew show is the same, but I know the our waiter Suttipong has performed a Thai three times in a row now. I suspect that, once they get someone who can perform, they hold into him until his contract ends.

 

 

 

 

 

I hope they at least give him a break from some of his other duties to make up for that! He probably gets very little free time to start with and it would be nice to think they use "work" time for these performances since that show means they don't have to hire performers for that time slot!

 

I want to hear that Head waiter sing!

[Gotribe]

They usually give the crew members who perform in the international crew shows a little extra cash, probably about $20.

[robsaw]

The previous entertainment model on Princess was one of the big reasons we enjoyed our cruises - it these changes spread that will probably be it for us and Princess. Disco and dancing aren't for us but multiple shows, including comprehensive theatrical productions, in the evening are.

[2Canucks]

PescadoAmarillo...

 

I'm hoping you can help me out.

 

Who is the Future Cruise Credit (FCC) Person & the Captain Circle Person ...onboard the Emerald Princess right now? Will they still be onboard in Feb/12? We're doing a B2B on the Emerald in Feb.

 

Do you have any knowledge on the Bon Voyage Experience? We are treating a friend to one in Feb on the Emerald Princess. It's booked to happen on the "connection day" between the 2 cruises in Ft Lauderdale. I'm not sure how that will work with us onboard already! :confused: If we have to do the "immigration thing" with the other B2Ber's how will we connect with our guest who will be boarding for the BVE? We'd like to do the Ship Tour/Lunch etc with him and the BVE Group! Do you have any ideas "who I should talk too" to sort this out onboard...during the 1st cruise of our B2B? The Princess telephone operators haven't been very informative on this so I thought I'd ask you since you are onboard the Emerald.

 

Thanks in advance for any info you can share with us.

 

Pat :)

[cindep]

Just back from the Emerald Princess and HATED the new entertainment schedule. We spent quite a few evenings in our cabin watching movies and even those were repeated over and over. There is no longer any variety. The set up was the same day after day and if you don't play trivia, there isn't much to do during the day.

 

Normally I don't have much to say about cruise directors, but I did get tired of Tim Donovan's lateness over and over before the shows in the Princess theater. I loved the Beatlemaniacs and could see them over and over as they are so good. But when Tim Donovan told everyone to scream, I left Club Fusion. I felt like we were on a Carnival cruise instead of Princess. I love to have fun and dance to good music, but screaming? Unfortunately we had E726 so we heard the music in Club Fusion every night until very late. I think this new model stinks and my questionnaire will reflect that.

[NewSalt]

I too have just left the Emerald Princess this morning. This was my first Princess cruise.

I’m not an experienced cruiser like so many of you, so I hate to be too critical, but my husband and I were very disappointed by the shows on this cruise. Our only other experience has been with Celebrity, and their shows, IMO, were far superior. Just sitting through one production number after another, all of which bore a strong resemblance to each other, quickly became boring. Far from being disappointed that they were only 30 minutes long, we were glad to see them end. We did miss the Beatlemania show, and our friends told us it was very good. We saw the second comedian, and thought he was pretty good, but the first one only did one show on one night, at 10:15 on Wednesday, and we skipped it because we thought it would be very crowded since it was a one-time-only event.

We were also disappointed by the crew’s show. Hector, the headwaiter in Michelangelo (?) was outstanding, and we enjoyed the traditional Thai dance. However, I felt that it was very rude of Bex, the assistant cruise director, to refer to two of the dancers as “Suttipong’s friends” without even bothering to find out their names and announce them. Other than the bartender who played the drums (very well in my admittedly untrained opinion) and the woman who did the teeth whitening who sang, those were the only true, non-performer crew members in the show. And we had heard Hector do “My Way” after the cooking demonstration early that day. Also, we waited much longer for the show to start than the performance lasted. It was so late starting that they passed out balloons that the audience then blew up and began batting all around the theater. That actually lasted for about 15 minutes. Kind of fun, but extremely strange.

OTOH, we thought Movies Under the Stars was terrific. I loved lounging in a deck chair, covered with a warm blanket munching on cookies and milk and looking at the beautiful stars overhead. I’ll never be happy sitting in a movie theater seat again.

[1 HappyCruiser]

Just back from the Emerald Princess and HATED the new entertainment schedule. We spent quite a few evenings in our cabin watching movies and even those were repeated over and over. There is no longer any variety. The set up was the same day after day and if you don't play trivia, there isn't much to do during the day.

 

Normally I don't have much to say about cruise directors, but I did get tired of Tim Donovan's lateness over and over before the shows in the Princess theater. I loved the Beatlemaniacs and could see them over and over as they are so good. But when Tim Donovan told everyone to scream, I left Club Fusion. I felt like we were on a Carnival cruise instead of Princess. I love to have fun and dance to good music, but screaming? Unfortunately we had E726 so we heard the music in Club Fusion every night until very late. I think this new model stinks and my questionnaire will reflect that.

 

Since there not utilizing the main show room, Windjammer & Fusion lounges are much as they used to, have they at least increased the number of showings of the more current movies at night? I'm not looking forward to this new entertainment arrangement either but at least they could substitute something else even if it's not a production show or guest entertainer.

[bjcanady]

The previous entertainment model on Princess was one of the big reasons we enjoyed our cruises - it these changes spread that will probably be it for us and Princess. Disco and dancing aren't for us but multiple shows, including comprehensive theatrical productions, in the evening are.

 

and we feel just the opposite, after 49 cruises with Princess we have left them because of lack of dancing........